Lord of the Truth

"...The Necropolis Fortress Galaxy... Tyrant Interas' Galaxy... The Galaxy of Morpheus The Dreamer... The Galaxy of House Destra..."

Robin repeated the names with a mix of astonishment and reverence. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. These names carried an aura of mystery and power that sent chills down his spine. "Who are they? What do these names even mean?"

Neri crossed her arms, studying his reaction carefully. "Hmm, I had a feeling you wouldn't know about these entities when you spoke about the problems of artificial galaxies. It's quite surprising, honestly. You are a multi-planetary Emperor— a ruler who controls many worlds. How could you not have even heard of them?"

She shook her head with a hint of disappointment before continuing, "In any case, those four are just some examples. There are more out there. Every one of these entities controls a fundamental law, and every one of them has built and secured their own artificial galaxy. Their influence and power can be described to be on par with the renowned Star Academies, with nothing above them."

Robin furrowed his brows, struggling to comprehend the scale of what she was saying. "They are that powerful?"

He had heard whispers of the Star Academies, legendary institutions that acted as enforcers of the celestial laws, entities that ensured cosmic balance and order. They were revered, feared, and often seen as untouchable. The idea that there were forces in the universe capable of standing against them —let alone challenging them— felt utterly surreal.

Seeing his reaction, Neri smirked slightly. "I can tell you're having trouble grasping this. Let me make it clearer for you. Let's take Tyrant Interas as a primary example."

She took a deep breath before diving into the explanation. "Interas is the only known person in the entire universe to have reached the seventh degree of the Major Law of Space. That level of mastery alone makes him a terrifying existence, but his true brilliance lies in what he did with that power. A long time ago, he revolutionized travel and warfare by inventing the modern form of space portals—a sophisticated fusion of the fifth and sixth-stage patterns of space manipulation. Before his breakthrough, interstellar travel relied entirely on raw speed, with ships having to push their engines to the absolute limit. But Interas changed all of that. He was the first to use space portals as a means of large-scale transportation."

She gestured with her hands as she continued, painting a vivid picture. "He didn't stop there. He took things a step further by distributing Minor space laws among his forces, granting his entire army an unparalleled advantage in mobility. With these two weapons in his arsenal, he swiftly conquered his entire sector in what can only be described as an era-defying feat."

Robin swallowed, his throat dry. "And after that? What did he do once he secured his sector?"

Neri's expression turned grim. "Once Interas crushed every opposing force in his sector and amassed what could only be described as nearly limitless resources, he set his sights on even more expansion. He attempted to invade a neighboring sector, believing his power was more than enough to subjugate it. However, he failed miserably. You see, transporting an entire army of his scale across sectors was not a trivial matter. Even with his unparalleled mastery over space, the logistical nightmare of moving a force that vast proved to be too much even for him."

Robin nodded slowly, taking in her words. "So, what did he do then?"

And Neri quickly answered, "When he realized he couldn't expand through brute force, he settled for two other means of dominance. The first was the creation of an artificial galaxy, and the second was establishing economic supremacy over the surrounding sectors."

Robin's curiosity peaked. "Oh, what happened next?"

Neri chuckled. "Let me explain. It is said that tens of millions of years ago, Interas learned of the existence of a Galaxy Seed —a rare celestial phenomenon— in a neighboring sector. When he discovered its location, he personally led an elite force consisting of his children and a handful of his most trusted warriors to claim it. What followed was a brutal series of battles against other powerful factions who sought to control the seed for themselves. After an excruciatingly long conflict, he emerged victorious."

She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice. "Using his overwhelming mastery of the Law of Space, along with the powerful Planetary Equipment I told you about, he successfully moved the Galaxy Seed to his own sector."

"Of course, Interas refined it for himself and started transporting his most powerful planets to its orbit, it rapidly grew into a massive artificial galaxy, soon containing thousands of inhabited solar systems. Interas wasted no time deploying his forces across them, fortifying every inch of his new domain. His strategy was brilliant— he transformed these planets into an impenetrable fortress, a bastion that no force in the known universe could hope to breach. With an army that ruled over an entire sector and the power of space portals allowing them instant and cheap mobility across the Galaxy as they became close, he created a military and economic juggernaut."

Robin exhaled slowly. "That means... if anyone tries to attack him, they'd be fighting against an entire galaxy's worth of resources and a gigantic army that can teleport to any of these planets at will?"

Neri nodded. "Exactly. Even if one of the great Star Academies were to declare war on him, they would find themselves facing an insurmountable challenge. Interas built an empire so resilient, so efficiently designed, that even the mightiest of forces would hesitate before making a move against him."

Robin's eyes widened as realization dawned upon him. Even after linking his planets with space portals, the cost of transportation remained staggeringly high. He had already lost half of his resource reserves in his war against Pythor alone. If all his planets had been positioned close to one another, defending them at any given moment of crisis would have been infinitely easier. His three armies could have descended upon any invading force like an unstoppable tide, crushing them instantly without the need for careful coordination, strategic maneuvering, or even leaving defensive garrisons behind.

But now, for the first time, he truly grasped another advantage of artificial galaxies—one that he had never considered before. It was an absolute battlefield, a place where wars were fought with only two possible outcomes: victory or complete annihilation. There was no in-between.

In a conventional war, like the one he had fought with Pythor, both sides could afford to lose planets. The vast distances between their territories meant that a commander could strategically abandon a world—or even several—if it meant regrouping, gathering reinforcements, or preparing for a counterattack. The sheer scale of space allowed for tactical retreats and drawn-out conflicts.

But in an artificial galaxy? That was simply impossible. Every planet was clustered together, positioned so closely that capturing one wouldn't just mean occupying territory—it would mean being completely surrounded. A single foothold couldn't be established, because no invading force would have the luxury of creating supply lines or fallback positions.

The moment an enemy stepped inside, they would either have to destroy everything in their path, or they would simply perish.

And if an opponent understood this? They would think twice before even considering such a war.

Neri had given Robin a moment to process these realizations before she continued speaking, her voice steady but firm, guiding him through the depths of knowledge that he had yet to explore.

"The second pillar of Tyrant Interas's strategy wasn't just military dominance—it was economic control over the surrounding sectors. Once he realized that hoarding space technology was no longer an advantage to him after securing his artificial galaxy, he did something no one expected. He started selling his knowledge. And not just to anyone—he did it through the Soul Society, the monumental establishment founded by Morpheus The Dreamer himself. And Interas, being the cunning ruler that he was, exploited it to its fullest potential."

She paced slightly, her tone taking on a storytelling rhythm as she elaborated further.

"He sold schematics for space portals— blueprints that allowed others to construct their own teleportation networks, albeit inferior to his own. He introduced the designs for starships equipped with space-imbued tattoos, allowing them to surpass the speed of light without relying on primitive energy drives. He even pioneered the very exploration ships we were discussing earlier— vessels that could map out the unknown expanses of the universe with greater efficiency than ever before."

She paused for a moment, letting the sheer magnitude of these contributions settle in. Then, with a subtle smirk, she added, "And that's only a fraction of what he unleashed upon the cosmos."

Robin listened intently, his mind racing with the implications of such actions.

"By selling these technological marvels through the Soul Society, Interas accumulated an unfathomable amount of wealth. Gems, artifacts, cosmic resources—he gathered them all in quantities beyond imagination. Some say that this one decision alone placed him among the ten richest figures to have ever lived. But his influence didn't stop at personal gain. His innovations marked the beginning of the Golden Age of Expansion. The sudden availability of space portals and advanced spaceships triggered a surge in planetary empires, causing their numbers to explode across the universe. In a matter of centuries, the political landscape was reshaped, and interstellar civilization as we know it was transformed forever."

Robin exhaled, trying to grasp the enormity of this information. Interas hadn't just built an empire—he had shifted the course of history itself.

Neri's expression darkened slightly as she stepped closer, her voice now carrying the weight of something undeniable.

"Do you finally understand what kind of existence we're talking about? This isn't just another powerful warlord that you might have a chance against. Interas is one of the fundamental pillars of the known universe. His lifespan is measured in tens of millions of years, and yet he is still alive. Still watching. Still governing from the very heart of the artificial galaxy he created with his own hands."

Her gaze locked onto Robin's as she continued, "And the entities I mentioned before? The Necropolis Citadel Galaxy, Morpheus the Dreamer's galaxy, the Destra House, and others like them? They are no different. Each of them has their own legendary tale, each of them wields a power that rivals the rest, and each of them made the same decision—to construct an artificial galaxy as their dominion."

She took a step back, folding her arms as if to drive home her final point.

"So when I hear you speaking about problems with artificial galaxies, forgive me for saying this, but that is nothing short of ignorance."